A home is a kingdom of it's own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life's storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
The will of God, to which the law gives expression, is that men should defeat their enemies by loving them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the power of love over hatred, suggesting that one can overcome adversaries through compassion.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's quote conveys the profound idea that true strength lies not in revenge or hatred, but in love and compassion towards one's enemies. It suggests that adhering to a higher moral or spiritual law, as expressed through God's will, involves responding to animosity with kindness, ultimately transforming relationships and overcoming conflict.
Themes
LoveEnemiesForgivenessCompassionStrength
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing forgiveness, this quote could be used to illustrate how love can heal relationships.
More from Dietrich Bonhoeffer
All quotes βIn normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
Sometimes we just need a firm kick in the pants. An unsmiling expectation that if we mean all these wonderful things we talk about and sing about, then letβs see something to prove it.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
It is God's earth out of which man is taken. From it he has his body. His body belongs to his essential being. Man's body is not his prison, his shell his exterior, but man himself. Man does not "have" a body; he does not "have" a soul; rather he "is" body and soul. Man in the beginning is really his body. He is one. He is his body, as Christ is completely his body, as the Church is the body of Christ
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
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It's still two human beings trying to get along, so it's going to be complicated. And love is always complicated. But humans must try to love each other, darling. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.
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The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.
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I think tolerance and acceptance and love is something that feeds every community.
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